


the memories of larsa solidor

by epistretes



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Multi, other characters have minor appearances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 14:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11715951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epistretes/pseuds/epistretes
Summary: Snippets of Larsa Solidor's life as he looks back on it. Both happy and sad memories flit through his mind in a jumble.





	the memories of larsa solidor

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything in over a year (crazily hectic schedule!) but this bug bit me after finishing my most recent essay and would not let go until I wrote it out.

The way his mother, Empress Erialle of House Ferrinas, smiled at him and praised him for his first step was Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor's first ever memory. He was unsure if love for his departed mother had sharpened and honed the memory or if he truly remembered it in such clarity. He fell into her arms, giggling with happiness at her praise and his own success.

As they placed his daughter in his arms for the first time, he gazed into her squinting face as if he had never seen anything or anyone so perfect in his life. He looked up at her mother, beaming and beautiful despite her hair being sweat-plastered to her head. He corrected himself, one of the two most beautiful people he had ever seen.

"We recognise the birth of the Princess." The head midwife proclaimed with satisfaction.

"We proclaim the birth of the Heir," the Lady Sorein Miell seconded, completing the ritual. Lady Miell had tried to wed her own daughter to the sole remaining Solidor scion and did a passable job at not sounding resentful.

The royal cortege dismissed themselves to allow their Emperor, Empress and new Princess time to rest. As soon as they were out of sight, Larsa slipped a potion to his love as he cradled the now-snoozing baby.

"Thank you, I feel like I could sleep for a week." She yawned.

"Might not get a week but we can try." He carefully helped her to the chaise lounge and cradled her and the baby, drifting off exhausted but content. This was another memory he would cherish.

"Milord, be careful!" Drace had shouted at him when he got a little too close to the aggressive fauna at the Phon Coast on a family holiday aged five. His mother had recently been interred at her family crypt and Emperor Gramis had sent his sons away as he could not bear to see her shining out through little Larsa's eyes. The elder two brothers were sparring with Judge Ghis and Vayne was appearing as if idle but his eyes were trained on his little half-brother splashing happily in the surf. Larsa had tripped and laughed, spitting out a gob of saltwater as he chased a hermit crab he had seen with a very sparkling shell.

"Erialle Dalmasca Solidor!" The Emperor was now just simply a chiding father and the little girl looked up at him with guilty blue eyes. It was the look she always gave when caught out by her father, who was much more lenient and indulgent than her mother. "Give me back my signet ring and I will forget this ever happened."

She dug her toe into the floor and looked torn for a moment as if deciding whether to own up to the theft or not. Then she held out her chubby fingered hand and gave him back his ring of state.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked as the ring had been on his finger when she filched it.

"Unca Vaan taught me." Larsa's eyes lidded in annoyance and he sighed as his wife smothered a grin and snicker in the corner of the room where she was breastfeeding their son.

"I think I will have to have some words with Uncle Vaan."

Larsa had fled the palace and caused an uproar when he had learned of the deaths of his two elder brothers. He had not even been told just whom had struck the deadly blows and he had reacted so badly. He remembered running through Tsenoble, eyes blurred by tears before sinking down into a nook halfway between the palace and his mother's tomb at House Ferrinas. He had stayed there, crouched in a nook until Vayne found him.

His elder brother had cradled him in his arms and whispered soothing words until admitting it was he who had wielded the blade. Larsa had stiffened in alarm when Vayne cupped his cheek lovingly.

"I had to, Larsa. I promise you I will never hurt you. They were spurred on by Houses Garuth and Posdon to betray father, so father asked me to end the attempted insurrection. All we need to do is obey father and we will be safe. I will ever protect you."

Larsa nodded through his tears and buried his face in Vayne's shoulder length hair, oddly feeling safe despite what he had just been told.

"Larsa! Did you hear - Ashe had a little boy!" Penelo hurried up to him, waving a missive in hand.

"Another one?" he huffed in jest. "You Dalmascans do love having a large royal family."

"As do you Archadians if your insatiability is anything to go by," she teased, as always able to get straight to Larsa and not Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. No wonder he had loved her since the day he had clapped eyes on her and he kissed her deeply.

Erialle was attempting to teach Gramis how to sing a Dalmascan nursery rhyme and the two parents smiled at each other, happy in their little family - and their extended family of their friends. It soothed Larsa's heart to know neither the royal lines of Dalmasca or Archadia were in danger of dying out as they both had been in their generation.

Something was wrong - very wrong. Larsa had hit the age of twelve and Vayne had been acting strangely for a while. He was spending a lot of time between Draklor Laboratories and the Carudas estate of his mother. Vayne and his mother had never been especially close as she had never wanted a child but her father had forced her into a political alliance with House Solidor. Vayne had been the result of that and since her own father had passed away, she and Vayne had little to speak of to one another.

Everyone was starting to get edgy and Larsa's own natural curiosity got the better of him. When Vayne was announced as the Lord Consul of Rabanastre, Larsa had wanted to travel with him but been denied. Using his budding negotiating skills and charms, he wheedled a holiday out of his father - to Bhujerba.

"so sing, little nightingale mine…" his mother trailed off the lullaby and kissed his brow as he slipped off into dreams, having no idea it would be the last time he ever saw her.

She was looking at him like she could not quite make him out. He had saved her from the Judge's wroth and taken her under his protection, yet he was a Solidor - brother to Vayne. It seemed so odd to him that anyone could be scared of his loving brother. Vayne was dangerous, he knew that, but he had always been caring to Larsa. It set a strange feeling in his stomach when he looked at her and he did not know what to name it. She was pretty - more than pretty - he wanted to help her and keep her close. It was very confusing. She smiled weakly at him, still clearly shaken by the day's events and he dropped to bended knee to promise he would keep her safe.

He thought of her often as she travelled the continent, he wondered if she was safe and putting his faith in the manufacted nethicite to do its work, but it was different to when he had been with her, when he had held her hand and knew she was there and whole. She was on a dangerous mission and yet it was so important - she had to help worry at the loose threads and unravel the treacherous weave covering them all, persons, countries and empires alike.

"You are such a little choco-nerd," Vaan chuckled at him as Larsa paused to point out the lovely wild black chocobo they passed on the Ozmone Plains. He turned to Penelo and she smiled at him, indulging his excitement. He felt like a silly little boy at the same time as a worthy companion to their troupe when she smiled at him like that and he ignored the fluttering feeling in his pre-teen stomach. 

She showed him how to braid hair and they sat by the campfire together, listening to Vaan tell a story about the first mark he ever took out, making them all chuckle at his over-the-top but endearing recitation of the Slaughter of the Vicious and Terrible Rogue Tomato.

"I cannot believe I agreed to this," he huffed with annoyance as he braided his daughter's hair on the day of her wedding to Prince Heios B'Nargin Dalmasca. She turned (ruining her hair in the process) and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

"You agreed because I threatened to abdicate if you didn't let me marry him."

"You _did_ abdicate, missy." He reminded her, poking her nose. 

"Doesn't count. I abdicated to Gramis so I can have a different crown instead. They seem to like Queens over there more than they do here anyway. Archadia always likes boy butts on their thrones."

"I just want you to be happy." He told her, pulling her in for a hug but being careful not to crush her dress.

"We will be - we're a love match like you and Mama." She assured him then he started the process of braiding her hair again.

He felt the comforting hand on his shoulder as all he had known crumbled around him, after he had been forced to stand by Vayne or draw his sword and he had chosen to draw his sword. He looked up at Penelo and nodded her on - she had to go and finish.... to go and finish Vayne for good.

"I am sorry, brother. Please forgive me." He whispered as she hurried off to back up her Princess.

She was resplendent in a Dalmascan confection of cream and gold, in Archadia on the Queen's business on her own ship when it happened. He had recently reached his majority and each country was sending gifts to the new of-age Emperor of Archadia. He did not care much about all that, he was Emperor because he was the last living Solidor - but it had brought Penelo to him. She had left Vaan in Balfonheim and Larsa had relished their time alone. With Penelo in Archadia, he had granted diplomatic leave for Basch to go to Dalmasca and had all but had to push him bodily into the transport. Penelo had helped, saying how much the Queen had been missing him and they shared a mischievous smirk which had somehow morphed into them kissing feverishly before either of them really realise what was happening. As they broke apart, Penelo looked shocked at her actions and Larsa started to laugh.

"Whats so funny?"

"I always hoped my first kiss would be with you." He told her, not as gallantly as he hoped through his giggles but she was soon giggling with him and then they shut each other up by kissing once more.

He hurried back from his diplomatic trip to Bhujerba with indecent haste when word reached him of Penelo's sudden illness. He smashed his way through the doors, seeing Queen Ashe and Prince Consort Basch of Dalmasca there with Erialle and Heios with their grandchildren in tow. Just beyond, he did not bother to greet any of them, were Gramis and his new Rozarrian bride, Cal-Ielle sitting around the bed of his wife.

Vaan was by her side, holding her hand and it looked like tears had only recently dried on his face.

"You were never supposed to go before me. Who will stop me doing stupid things?" he was asking of the wan woman, looking like she was fighting the battle of her life just to breathe and open her eyes.

"You'll just have to look after yourself now, Vaan." 

Larsa pushed past Vaan and took her other hand, Penelo turned to him and smiled a sweet smile as she always had. Everyone else in the room discreetly left and it was only after that Larsa even noticed they had done so. He sat with his wife for a bittersweet nine minutes before the last of her breath puffed from her and then she was gone. He did not remember screaming for her, he barely even noticed what happened around him the next few days, not bothering to eat unless someone forced him to do so.

Their hands were bound with laurels and galbana lilies when Migelo gave her away, her wedding dress in Dalmascan style with Queen Ashelia serving as her head bridesmaid and her friend Filo looking around with wonder. Larsa could see them all out of the corner of his eye (as well as the scowling Miell matriarch), but he focused on his beautiful bride.

"I now proclaim you bonded for life." Intoned a kiltias who had come from Mount Bur-Omisace for the wedding and they leaned in to seal their union with a kiss.

The state funeral was no less painful, watching her bier pass through the city she had taken on as her home. Nobles and commoners alike watched her pass with reverence, after her initial tough times of being looked down upon as a foreign and a commoner, she had become beloved and their Dalmascan-Archadian jewel.

Larsa stood on the flower-bedecked cart, dressed all in black and not noticing anything around him except the slow processional of his wife's black-veiled face. She could have been sleeping. Why was she not simply sleeping?

"I am abdicating in favour of my son, your new Emperor Gramis Dalmasca Solidor. See that the coronation is set for next week." Larsa announced to a full senate, word spreading through the city like wildfire. They celebrated their new Emperor but mourned their old as he withdrew from public life and went on a permanent pilgrimage to Mount Bur-Omisace.

Relj came to him with news, his seventh grandchild had been born and he had been invited to the palace. Silver was his hair now and he looked up as Fran entered the hall, her ears drooping and her face sad. Larsa knew she had known loss as he had, their sky pirate friend was gone.

The missives came one by one. Basch passed on. Ashe following soon after. Soon enough, his memories started to blur into each other and then he lay on his bier, family with Fran and Relj by his side. He smiled at them all, before his eyes went glassy.

He saw his friends in the mist, beckoning him to them - all of his childhood friends save Fran were already there. 

"Go to her." Relj whispered, knowing what his heart wanted.

"Tell Balthier I will join you soon." Fran asked of him and he looked to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren before turning to Penelo who waited in the Mist, smiling as she had done when he swore to protect her when he was twelve. He lifted his hand and then he was gone, all of his memories with him into the Mist.


End file.
